There is news of the transition to the fifth category of coronavirus measures, which gives me a sense of liberation from the restrictions that we have been living under.
This morning, I went out to visit my granddaughter’s junior high school cultural festival. It has been a long time since I went out.
Most of the students are still wearing masks, but when I entered the classroom, I felt the vibrant energy of life that I had not experienced in a long time, and the bright future that they represent.
On the way to the school, I saw carp streamers swimming happily in the clear blue sky of May. May 5th is “Children’s Day,” which was established by the Holiday Law in 1948, replacing the pre-war “Tango no Sekku,” or Boys’ Festival.
I asked the AI-generated language model ChatGPT about the origin of Tango no Sekku, and it gave me the following answer within a few seconds:
“The origin of Tango no Sekku dates back to the traditional Chinese event called the ‘Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival).’ According to legend, in ancient China, the monsters of the rivers and seas, namely ‘dragons’ and ‘fish,’ tormented the people.
Then, a hero named Lu Bu, wielding the famous sword ‘Grass-Cutting Sword,’ defeated the dragon, and the fish were driven away with the ‘chimaki’ dumpling containing ‘ai grass’ and ‘shobu’ leaves. This event, which symbolizes ‘defeating the dragon and driving away disaster,’ became the origin of Duanwu Festival.
Another theory suggests that Duanwu Festival is held in memory of the Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who was exiled from his homeland and met a tragic end. To remember and mourn him, Duanwu Festival was established.
In Japan, Tango no Sekku, which was brought from China, eventually became established as ‘Children’s Day,’ a festival to pray for the health of families and the growth of children.”
While the answer provides little information about the history of Japan, it focuses mainly on the Chinese origin of the festival. Perhaps ChatGPT contains more information in Chinese than in Japanese. Nevertheless, I am impressed by its ability to produce such well-written and informative passages.
2023.5.3.